1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector in which the engagement of a retaining lance, provided within a connector housing, with a terminal can be easily canceled without prying (or prizing) the retaining lance by a jig rod.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-97259, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11 shows a related terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 7-14577.
In this structure, a jig rod 53 is inserted obliquely into a connector housing 51 of a synthetic resin through an opening 52 formed through an upper wall thereof, and an elastic retaining lance 54 is pried (or prized) by this jig rod 53, thereby canceling the engagement between a terminal 55 and the retaining lance 54.
A stop wall 56 is provided adjacent to the upper opening 52, and is disposed in a direction of prying of the retaining lance 54, and this stop wall 56 prevents excessive deformation of the retaining lance 54. A support wall 58, having a short slanting guide surface 57, is provided adjacent to the upper opening 52 at a front end of the connector housing 51. The jig rod 53 is inserted into the connector housing 51 along the guide surface 57 through the opening 52, and is turned on the support wall 58 (serving as a fulcrum) to raise or pry the distal end of the retaining lance 54. Molding holes 60 for molding the retaining lances 54 are formed through a front end wall 59 of the connector housing 51.
Two (upper and lower) rows of terminal receiving chambers 61 are formed within the connector housing 51, and the terminals 55 are received back to back in the upper and lower terminal receiving chambers 61, respectively. The opening 52 is provided outwardly of each terminal receiving chamber 61, and the upper openings 52 and the lower openings 52 are disposed symmetrically. The retaining lance 54 is disposed between the stop wall 56 and the terminal 55. A projection 54a , formed on an inner surface of the retaining lance 54 at the distal end thereof, is fitted into an engagement hole in the terminal 55, thereby retaining the terminal 55 against rearward withdrawal. Thus, the connector 62 mainly comprises the connector housing 51 and the terminals 55.
In the above structure, however, the jig rod-inserting openings 52 are formed through the upper and lower outer walls of the connector housing 51, and therefore the terminal receiving chambers 61 could be arranged only in one or two rows (stages), thus inviting a problem that a multi-pole connector, having terminal receiving chambers arranged in a plurality of stages (more than two stages), could not be obtained. And besides, each molding hole 60 for molding the retaining lance is formed through the front end wall 59 of the connector housing 51, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the operator sometimes inserts the jig rod 53 into the molding hole 60 by mistake, and pries the terminal 55 to deform the same.
FIGS. 12A and 12B show another related terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector.
In this structure, a jig rod-inserting hole 67 is formed through a front end wall 66 of a connector housing 65, and a jig rod 68 is inserted horizontally into the connector housing 65 through the hole 67 from the front side thereof, and is engaged with a distal end of a retaining lance 69, and then the jig rod 68 is turned on an edge (serving as a fulcrum) of the hole 67 in a direction of arrow B (FIG. 12B) to raise or pry the retaining lance 69, thereby canceling the engagement between a terminal 70 and the retaining lance 69.
A molding hole for molding the retaining lance serves as the jig rod-inserting hole 67, and the hole 67 is considerably large in size. A mating terminal-inserting hole 71 is formed through the front end wall 66 of the connector housing 65, and is disposed at the lower side of the jig rod-inserting hole 67. The terminal 70 is of the female type, and a mating terminal of the male type in a mating connector (not shown) is inserted through the hole 71, and is connected to the terminal 70. In this structure, the terminals 70 can be arranged in a plurality of rows (stages).
In the structure of FIGS. 12A and 12B, however, the large molding hole for molding the retaining lance serves as the jig rod-inserting hole 67, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the jig rod 68 can not always be inserted into a proper position, and therefore it has been difficult to accurately pry the retaining lance 69. And besides, the jig rod 68 is brought into engagement with the retaining lance 69 in a fumbling manner, and the retaining lance 69 is pried in a fumbling manner, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the retaining lance 69 and the terminal 70 are liable to be damaged. In this structure and the structure of FIG. 11, the jig rod 53, 68 is turned by leverage, and therefore an unduly-large force is liable to be applied, which leads to a possibility that the retaining lance 54, 69 is pressed hard against the outer wall 56, 72 of the connector housing 51, 65, and is deformed. And besides, the jig rod 53, 68 is first inserted into the connector housing 51, 65, and then the retaining lance is pried by the jig rod, and thus the two operations are required, and this has invited a problem that the retainment-canceling operation is cumbersome.
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal-retainment cancellation structure of a connector in which terminals can be arranged in a plurality of rows (stages), and a jig rod can accurately approach a retaining lance, and the retaining lance can be accurately flexed (elastically deformed) with a simple operation without deforming (permanently deforming) and damaging the retaining lance.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a connector housing into which a jig rod is insertable through a hole, an elastic retaining lance, by which a terminal is retained, formed within the connector housing, the retaining lance which is flexed in a retainment-canceling direction by the jig rod inserted through the hole, a guide plate attachable into the connector housing so as to extend from the hole toward a distal end of the retaining lance, the guide plate which guides the jig rod inserted from the hole, and a slanting guide surface, with which a distal end of the jig rod is brought into sliding contact, formed on the distal end portion of the retaining lance.
Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the hole is formed to stabilize an insertion of the jig rod without shaking.
Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a guide groove is formed in the guide plate to guide an insertion of the jig rod, and an inner surface of the hole is flush with a guide surface of the guide groove.
Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide plate extends to a position near to the distal end of the retaining lance.
Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the connector further comprises a retaining projection formed on the retaining lance in juxtaposed relation to the slanting guide surface.
Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the jig rod includes, at the distal end thereof, a press-contact portion brought into contact with the slanting guide surface, and an abutment step portion brought into contact with a front end surface of the retaining projection.
Further, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that a slanting surface is formed on the press-contact portion, and wherein the slanting surface is brought into contact with the slanting guide surface of the retaining lance.
Further, according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the connector further comprises a front holder attachable to a front end of the connector housing, the front holder including the hole and the guide plate.